Device for preventing theft of automobiles in highways



May 31, 1927. 1,630,284

' G. A. WETTENGEI. DEVICE FOR PREVENTNG THEFT 0F AUTOMOBILES IN HIGHWAYS Filed March 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '2, w #wf f ff f 15 4 mined vdistance from the point where said atelntedV lldayv 315v Y i GEORGE A. WRTTRNGEL, or sT.-I.0U1s, MISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR PREVENTIN'G'TRERT or, AUTOMOBILES'. 1N HIGHwAYs Applicationined Marana, 1925.` serial no'. 12,595.

. This invention relates to a device :tor'pr'eventing thett ot automobiles on highways.

An object of the inventon'is to provide al device for use on an automobile which may beoperated by an occupant ot the automobile easily and without being observed when' stopped by a thief or highwaymamwith the result that the motive mechanism of thev automobile will. be disabled ultimately fand within a comparatively short time. l Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for lthe purposes `mentioned which when operated will .open the ignition circuit thus ,disabling the automobile after it has traveledapproximately a predeterregularity of combustion in the engine cylby `such operations.

.vention inders and to Imake the engine miss lring, with the result that the speedv is reduced while the automobile is travelling,-and`with the further result lthat the thief is confused An additional object of the'invention is to provide 'means for `discharging a gas form ing substance to cause -discovmtiture` to the thief or to overcome and render him helpless. v .Y VOther objects will appear from the following descriptiom reference being'rnade tothe drawings in which Fig.` 1 is a diagrammatic'vlew of themf Fig.'2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing the device by which the differenty parts of the invention are'controlled.

Y Fig. 3 isan enlarged vertical cross sectional vieu7 of the switch device for Iopening the ignition circuit leaving the lighting circuit `closed. v

Fig. 4 is-avsectional viewY on the line 4 4 Dirige Fig. 5 isasectional view on the line 5-5 @mig-.a

The batteryl has `one sidedV grounded as usual. A wire 2 from theotherfside of the battery' extends from a connection withy a contact member 3. to one side of aswitch 4. From the other side ofthe' switch 4 ajwire 5 connects with a Wire'G leading to one of the headlights 7 and to a contactmember 8-.`

'rheouiefheadiighteisincircuawahuie wire 10 leading to' a contact member 11. From the wire 10 a wire lightV 13. e Y

it" is necessary to bridge the gap between thecontact members 8 and-llgto ycomplete the circuit/to the headlight 9. The gap 'befA` 'tween said contact members 8 and 11 i`snor ina'lly bridged by apart' 14 attached to an insulation support 15,' as clearly shown in Fig-.2.` The support is mounted at one end ot' a pivot 164 and the 'opposite end of` said support 15 is normally upheld KVby ya latch 17 (Fig. 2) connected with a lever'lS: pivoted on a support 19 under the iioor of the automobile. pedal device 2O is con-` nected to the lever 18 and extendsthrough the :tootboard 21' ofthe automobile floor and is provided `with a spring 22 for upholding the lever to permit the latch 17 to retain .the

12 leads to the 'tail supp-ort 15 in its raised'positionA in whichthe Y element 14 bridges the gap betweenY the con? tact 'members 8 and' 11 to maintain' both headlights in the lighting circuit. By'de pression ofthe pedal device byvr thewt'eot or otherwise'the latch 17 is drawn-from under the support 15 which thereuponrswings'` downwardly by gravity and carries the para 14 out of contact with the cont'actgmembers` 8 and y11 opening the `circuit 4-tofthe head' light 9V and tail light 13 `and 'leaving kthe circuit tothe headlight 7 closed; Itis iutended'th'at the'lever 18 be thus operated l upon the occasion otany holdup by ahighwayman. The lightingsystem mayalso be Ydisabled on other occasions,' as when the auu tomobileis -not being used. InV .thisllwaya lpart of the .lighting system may be`1naintained in adisabled condition when the car. lis out'oiL use..`

Myinventi'on alsov `comprises means for Y disabling the ignition ksystemot the 'automof bile. An :1i-m23 is mounted'upon alpiv'ot 24 near the v treeend of thesupport v15 'and' is given friction'a'l resistance 'to opervationby a pressure spring 25 mounted vas shown (Fig.k

4) Weight 26 is attached tothe free end i of the arm 23 and` when the'support'lfis in its raised position lls the space'between said supporti 15 and the v'part 27 andl prevents undesirable vibration of lsaid support.

When the support -lidrops from the latch?V 17 the arm 23 is in an inclined position (Figs. 1 and 3)- so that the Weight 26-will gradually move saidarm overl toward a horizontal position as an incident to'vibiation Vof ythe automobile in traveling. The support '15 engages a retaining spring 28 'and is thereby held practically stationary in its vertical position.

. The ignition switchY 29 (Fig. 1)Y by contact u 'ith the Contact member 3 closes the ignition circuit from the battery. From the switch 29 the Wire 30 leads to connection ivith. aQconta'ct member 31 on the supportV V15V With Whichthe arin 23 is in permanent contact When the support 15 is in its raised position, but eventually moves out of contact therewith Wlieirthe supportl drops to vvertical position. 'The larni 23 isv normally in Ycircuit with thecontact member 32 `thrifiugh the medium rof a brush supported bysaidarin. ii Wire 34 y leads from `the contactineinber 32 through the transcillation of the arm 23into and out of eircuit with the contact iiieinber will cause Vthe Vengine to .nnss lire and reduce speed and eventually'stop. f The Yinvention further comprises means ferieestablishing a circuit to the headlight V9 vand-tail light 1 3 which circuit is intermittently opened and closed While Athe" -fengiiiefis running, thus lighting` the headfio l light 9Y and the tail light 13 at irregularmfteifvals, whichmeans l Will now describe.

Al `Wire 37 leads from the wire 2 toa convtac t 'i neniber 3S on the support 15. As the .arm 23 moves downwardly toward' horizontal 'position itfoscillatesor vibratesinto and out of contact `'with a contact ineinberBQ, on the'sup'port 15, which member '39 Vis Vplaced iii'contact With a stationary*contactmeinber f 40 when the siipport1.5 'di'ops to vertical position. The contact'ii'ieinber is iii-circuit With the Wire 10 .through a connecting- Wire 405. The contact member 89 isin eircuit withl the arm 2? through the -inediuin .Il of a brush 141. Thus the headlight Qand the Y`tail lightl vareintermittentlylighted and darkenedjbecause ofthevibration of the i. rarm 23; thus indicating that the car has n been' stolen. jor. is being driven rby an iin-v authorizedperson.

If desired, lthe device may also include means fordischarging a gas formin'gsubstancer to cause discomfiture Vtothe vthiefor to overcomer and render-.hin'i helplessgl-n" theembodiinent shown (Fig. 1) such means.Y Y n the{vehicle'-,When Vtravelling to derange and iso lcomprises vfrangible Vcontainer42 containing gas forming substance Which, underY a"suficientdegree ofheat',supplied electrically or` from the heating element 4 4 in the container to a V`Contact member 45 on the support 15 With-Which the arin-23inales circuit'on de scent thereof throughr the medium of a brush 46. Tliiisoccurs'automatically and as an in cident tothe inovenientof the arm 23) toits Froin ythe foregoing my invention is a highly simplified 'and elli-- cientineans for disabling a stolen automobile a'iidlthatrthe disablingdevices may be` operated by- Vthe rowner oi'"`dri\'1er of theautomobile at the time of Va `holdup Withoutfobservation by the 'liigliwayn'iair `Due to the resistance' to nioveineiit"ofjtlie Jarin 23 the ignition system isrnot disabled at once, vbut requires the vibration ,of Vthe automobile in travel before said arm 23 will move to-position todisable the ignition system and to voperate the lighting system toV give the signale;Y described. Ultimately the ignition. systeni becoii'ies'entirely disabled so that the it win te' 'geen' um -yvitli'in a casing 47l of which the part 27 is` Aso higliwayinan is required to stop and` probf ably abandonr theV automobile. [cases Where the gas forming .apparatus'is Vused the khighnayinan will be rendered helpless and subjected to easycapt'ure. i

AI am aware that the .invention in'ay be varied in numerous particulars'Withoutde-V 'parture from ,the-nature' and principle thereof, and' I dov not: restrict,` myself unessentially or otherwise than asset forth V'in theappended claims.

What I claim'v and ters Patent' is :-V

and their Yrespective opening y and-.closing lesire'to secureby Let-V ,110 1. ln a motor vehicle, the combination switches, lof additional,switching means arl ranged ,to bev operated by the vibration" of the vehicle Whenftravelling to `derange and f interrupt the usual functioningVY of said-two circuits, means normally latching said second switching means in an unoperative position, and-means operable Vby the' authorized driver forv releasing said latchingnieans in theevent of a holdup with intent to take the vehicle.v l i i 2. In a motor with the usual ignition yand lighting circuits and their vrespective opening o an closing interrupttheV usual 'functioning `of oiiefofy vehicle, vthe combination 125v said circuits, means normally latching said second switching kmeans in an unoperative position, and meansA operable by the authorized driver of the vehicle for releasing said latching means in the event of a; holdup.

with intent to takethe vehicle. 3. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the usual ignition and lighting circuits and, their respective opening and closingr switches, of additional switching means operative by the Vibration of the vehicle'when travelling to derange and interrupt Vthe usual functioning of said ignition'circuit, means normally latching said switching means in an unoperative position, and means operable by the authorized driver for re-V leasing said latching means in the event'of a holdup with intent to take the vehicle.

4. In a motor vehicle, the 'combination with the usualzignition and lighting circuits and 'their respective opening and .closing switches, of a pivoted support, means normally late-hing said support in an unopera` tive position` switching means arranged to be operated by Vsaid support to derange land interrupt the usual functioning of said two circuits. and means operable by the author- Vized driver for releasing said latching means in the event of aholdup with intent to take the vehicle.

5. In a motor vehicle, vthe combination with the usual independent ignition and lighting circuits and their respective independently operative opening yand closing switches, Aof an element vmounted for oscily lating 'movements bythe vibration 'of the Vvehicle, when travelling to` derange and 'in- Y terrupt the'usualf-functioningiof said ignition circuit, switching means controlledy by said element in one position thereof for t0 maintaining saidignitioncircuit lclosed and v in another position'thereoffor opening said ignition circuit, means normally "latching vsaid element in an unoperative position, and j *Y means operable by the authorized'driver for i5y releasing said latohing means to permit oscillation of said element as afoi'esaid'in the event of a holdup with intent to* takelthev l lating movements by the vibration of the ve- 55 hicle when travelling to derange andy inter`- i'upt the usual functioning of said ignition circuit, switching means controlled bysaid Yelement inone'position thereof for main- I Y tainingk said lighting circuit closed and inOp, another position thereof for' opening said lighting circuit, means normally latcliing said element in an `unoperat-ive position, and means operable by the authorized driverfoi'l releasing said latcliing means to permit os- 65 cillationof said element asaforesaid in the event of aholdup with intent to' take the vehicle.

GEORGE ii. fwn'fifriiifiefiin.i *l

vehicle, the combination A50 

